Super Salesman Employs One-Wheelmanship

From the April 1969 edition of Air Progress magazine we have Mike Dillon’s article on Bob Hoover. Bob Hoover was a pilot in the 52nd Fighter Group during World War II. On his 59th mission he was shot down by a German Ace over Southern France. After his capture Hoover spent 16 months at a prison camp in Barth, Germany. During a staged fight at the prison camp Hoover stole a Focke-Wulf FW 190 that was being kept for spare parts, yet was still flyable, and made his way to freedom in the Netherlands. After the war Hoover met and befriended Chuck Yeager who, impressed with Hoovers flying skills, chose him as his backup pilot in the Bell X-1 program. After entering civilian life Hoover engaged in quite a bit of pilot training and worked as a test/demonstration pilot. Eventually he began putting his skills on display at airshows and that is what Mike Dillon covers in the article below.